Cushion material



Dec. 26, 1933. F TAYLQR 1,940,924

CUSHION MATERIAL Filed NOV. 16, 1931 Patented Dec. 26, 1933 I the same,

UNITED STA cUsmoN'MA'rEiIAL Ivy F. Taylor, Buffalo, f N. Y.

Application!V November 193i;

, Serial No. 575,308V f rsommi-,p (01454445.75) y .f

This invention relates to improvements in packngs or gaskets for street rmanhole covers or similar covers to prevent the rattling and poundof these covers when a vehicle passes over Street manhole covers are initially made to t fairly snugly in seats formed in the manhole frames. Both the frames and covers are generally made of 4cast iron and no machining is done to accurately 'form the seats. Consequently, some of the covers as they come from the foundry do not Vcorrectly fit the seats in the frames and other covers which initially i'lt the seats, warp after being in use fora period of time, so lthat vthey also cease to fit accuratelyl on the seatsmin the` frames. When a Vehicle drives over a loosely iitting manhole cover, the cover is frequently rocked on its seat and a portion thereof brought into violent contact with theA seat causing objectionable noises or pounding and in some cases, this results in the breaking ofthe manhole cover or in the bounding of the cover from the frame, thus uncovering the manhole. Y

Attemptshave been made to remedy this defeet by providing gaskets of various kinds',v all of which, however, have been found unsatisfactory for various reasons.- Certain materials, such Vas paper vor wood pulp gaskets can not vwithstand the elements to which a manhole cover is exposed. r Gaskets made of fairly hard materials,

such as vulcanized rubber and asbestos, are too vhard to take v.up4 the irregularity of the seat and cover and such hard gaskets are, consequently,

cut by the'rocking of thecover and then break and drop down into the manhole. Gaskets made of soft rubber will not stay in place on a seat for the packing, 'the section being'taken below the a'manhole cover as commonly used,` and it is not practical to provide special seats on manhole covers, in order to retain the'soft rubber in place. Soft rubber, furthermore,.while deadening the noises resulting `from badlyl fitting manhole covers, ldoes not prevent movement of these covers, and results in the gasketworking from beneath the cover. Such materials Yasy felts Ktreated `with tar or asphalt are unsatisfactory,

Vbecause this material'is soon squeezed out ofthe Y space between the seat and the manhole cover.

The' objects of this invention are to provide a packing or gasket, which is capable of being molded by pressure to a limited extentintovr a ydesired shape, and of retaining such shape upon the removal of pressure; also to provide apacking for a street manhole coveror the like having the property of adapting itself or Iovvlng into y the shape or form'necessary to Hform a seat bev"-Fi`g.' 'i4 is 'a fragmentary sectional -edge'portion of `this packing, on a still larger scale. 90

tween the manhole lcover and the xed seat of the manholel frame, and which?` gasket, furthermore, will flow only. to alimited extent, so that it cannot be squeezed out of its operative position on the seat, and-.which will retainv the form 60 or shape necessary to preventmovement-of the manhole vcovergrelativelyv to. itsV frame;v also to provide a packing Aof this kind, in which a plurality of parallel 'strands of long fibered material are employed which are impregnated. with a bituminous substance, in whichthe fibrous material limits the extent to which the packing can flow or be shaped by the pressure of the manhole cover; also to provide an improved packing of Ythis kind, which is capable of adapting itself to 70 the shape necessary to uniformly support` a manhole cover on iall parts `of its bearing sur,-

`.face to prevent Amovement of l the'manhole cover 'relatively to its frame; also to provide a packing,

which can be-easily handled and 'cut to the de- TI sired'lengthandf-bent'or shaped toilt seats of 'different curvatures; also toimprove packingof this kind inotherirespects-hereinafter specified.

Inthe accompanying drawing: i

Fig. 1' isfa'transversesectional elevation of a 80 rstreet manholefram'e and cover, showing a gasket embodying' myfinvention-inposition between the cover and'fframe;

' l Fig. 2 is atop plan view ofthemanhole frame with thel cover removed, showingj the packing 85 -appliedV tothe seat ,of the frame; 1 I l Figf"3 is a transverse sectional view of my improved packing, on an enlarged scale; `view of an Fig.` 5 is a sectional plan view ofa portionof tended for usein connection with street manhole 'covers and the like, andl is illustrated in Figs. 1

and 2 as applied to a manhole, yetit will'be Vunderstood that it is not intended to limit this pack- 100,

Ving to use in connection'l with manholes, for the reason that the packing maybe applied to form a seat, jointorA cushion'between any two adjacent members.

In Figs. 1 and 2, A represents'ia street manhole 105 lframe which-lis generally provided with' an outvwardly extending Vflange 6 which :may Vrest upon Vvthe upper; edge of the wall of-"an underground structure, and an upwardly extending cylindrical part-"1, the upper end of which extends substan- I peratures,

' moved, the packing will in most cases remain on the seat of the manhole frame. The packing becomes formed into such shapethat all portions Vof the bearing surface of the manhole coverl arev equally supported by the packing, so that no movement of the A cover relatively to the manhole frame takes place. This eliminates the wear on the manhole cover and frame and also avoids all wear on the packing, so that the life of the packing is practically unlimited. By using a bituminous material which is slow owing yand not hard or brittle at ordinary atmospheric 'temthe manhole coverdoes vnot become rigidly cemented in place on the manhole frame, and consequently it can be removed, if necessary, and may be replaced Without renewing and packing. If the manholeV cover is notv restored to its initial relative position, the packing member or gasket will again yield or flow into a new shape to again form a uniform seat for the edge of the manhole cover, so that the vpacking member may be used repeatedly. The bituminous material in addition to the function described also thoroughly waterproofs the fibrous material of the gasket and prevents rotting or deterioration of the same.

I claim as my invention:

1. A seat facing, joint or cushion for street manhole covers, comprising a plurality of strands of long bered material arranged parallel Vto each other and side by side, and an adhesive slow owing material impregnating said strands.

2. A seat facing, joint or cushion for street manhole covers, comprising a plurality of strands of long bered material arranged parallel to each other and side by side, and a bituminous matevrial which is slightly fluid at normal atmos- V pheric temperatures and which impregnates said strands and permits said cushion to assume various shapes under slight pressures, said flbered material limiting the flow of said bituminous material. Y

3. A cushion, comprisinga plurality of strands of fibrous material of vegetable origin arranged parallel to each other side by side, each strand comprising a plurality of plies of twisted coarse long flbered material, and a viscous slow flowing material impregnating said strands.

4. A cushion for use between a street manhole cover and its seat, comprising a plurality of strands of Vlong bered material arranged parallel to each other/and side by side, flexible means for yieldingly holding said strands in connected relation, and a viscous slow flowing material impregnating said strands for holding said cushion in the form into which it is shaped, and for adhering said manhole cover toits seat.

5. A cushion, comprising a plurality of strands of long fibered material arranged parallel to each other and side by side, iiexible meansfor yieldingly holding said strands in connected relation, and a bituminous adhesive material which is slightly uid at normal atmospheric temperatures, and which impregnates said strands and permits said cushion under slight pressure to assume various shapes.

6. A cushion, comprising a plurality of strands of long bered material arranged parallel to each other and side by side, flexible means for yieldingly holding said strands in connected relation,

ova

a viscous slow flowing material impregnating said strands and for holding said cushion in the form into which it is shaped, and an excess of said viscous material forming a layer on an outer edge of said cushion.

'7. A cushion, comprising a plurality of strands 105 of fibrous material arranged parallel-to each other side by side, each strand comprising a plurality of twisted plies of coarse long fibered material, a covering of cotton fabric surrounding said strands for holding the same against separation, and a viscous bituminous adhesive material which is slow flowing at normal atmospheric'temperatures, and which impregnates said strands and covering, and which holds said cushion in the form into which it is shaped.

8. A cushion, comprising a plurality of strands yof coarse long fibered material arranged parallel to each other, a fabric covering for said fibrous material for holding the same in the desired form, and a viscous bituminous material which is slightly uid at normal atmospheric temperatures and which impregnates saidstrands and'. covering material and which holds said cushion in the shapeV into which it is formed and which forms an adhesive between any parts connected 125 Y.

by said cushion. f

IVY F. TAYLOR. 

